Nestlé Brasil increases sales and stands out in international balance
Valor Econômico 04/23/2009
Standing out in the international results, Nestlé Brasil has not suffered reduction in sales in any of its lines, according to the CEO of the Swiss multinational company in the country, Ivan Fábio Zurita. "We had no retraction. There was some growth, instead", he said, without disclosing the figures. Internationally, the first quarter sales fell to US$ 21.5 billion, or 2.1% compared to the US$ 22 billion registered in the first quarter of 2008, as the company disclosed yesterday, in Zurich.
The economic turbulences, according to Zurita, changed the profile of the consumer who now goes shopping willing to save money. "Of course the brands with good standing have a good competitive differential at this moment", he said in relation to the greater search for cheaper products from own brands, to the detriment of the leading brands. "But only that is not enough. In order to sell, it is necessary to have good prices", he explained. For this year, he expects the company to grow 4% in income. In 2008, the goal, according to him, was reached. Nestlé Brasil has not disclosed the exact figures of the sales of last year yet, but it has signaled the consolidated value should stay between R$ 13 billion (US$ 7.1 billion) and R$ 15 billion (US$ 8.2 billion). Worldwide, the region with the best results presented in the first quarter of the year was the Area of the Americas, which includes both the countries of the North and of the South of the continent. In such area, which includes Brazil as well as the United Stares, the sales in the first three months of the year amounted to US$ 6.4 billion, registering real increase of 2% compared to the same period of 2008, when the earnings amounted to US$ 6.07 billion. In Latin America, according to the results report, there was growth in the businesses of nearly 5%. In Europe the sales had retraction of 1.3%.